An adjusting unit of an internal combustion engine is provided, comprising an electric motor and a transmission interacting therewith, an adjusting shaft of the transmission being coupled to the rotor of the electric motor. A drive shafts of the transmission is coupled to the shaft which is to be adjusted. For controlling the electric motor, a sensorless control unit is provided outside of a housing of the electric motor which encloses the stator of the electric motor.

A system and method of controlling an angular position of a camshaft relative to an angular position of a crankshaft includes detecting rotational movement of an electric motor output shaft controlling a camshaft phaser; detecting rotational movement of the crankshaft; determining the relative difference between the rotational movement of the electric motor output shaft and the rotational movement of the crankshaft; and determining whether the angular position of the camshaft relative to the angular position of the crankshaft is advancing, retarding, or remaining constant.

A control system of a vehicle includes: an electric motor configured to phase rotation of an camshaft of an engine relative to rotation of a crankshaft of the engine; a current module configured to, while the engine is off: selectively transition a current signal back and forth between a first state and a second state; and a motor driver module configured to, while the engine is off: apply power to the electric motor from a battery and adjust a position of the camshaft toward a predetermined position when the current signal is in the first state; and disconnect the electric motor from the battery and allow the position of the camshaft to move away from the predetermined position when the current signal is in the second state.

A variable camshaft timing (VCT) assembly for changing the angular position of concentric camshafts relative to a crankshaft includes a coupling plate having a first plurality of Oldham features configured to engage a first plurality of Oldham receiving features carried by a first VCT device and a second plurality of Oldham features configured to engage a second plurality of Oldham receiving features carried by a second VCT device; the coupling plate is positioned axially between the first VCT device and the second VCT device permitting the first VCT device and the second VCT device to move radially outwardly and inwardly relative to an axis of camshaft rotation.

A control system of a vehicle includes: an electric motor configured to phase rotation of an camshaft of an engine relative to rotation of a crankshaft of the engine; a current module configured to, while the engine is off: selectively transition a current signal back and forth between a first state and a second state; and a motor driver module configured to, while the engine is off: apply power to the electric motor from a battery and adjust a position of the camshaft toward a predetermined position when the current signal is in the first state; and disconnect the electric motor from the battery and allow the position of the camshaft to move away from the predetermined position when the current signal is in the second state.

Travel of a brushless rotary actuator is limited by two stops, including a wound stator and a magnetic cylindrical rotor rigidly attached to a shaft having a first end rigidly attached to a control member. A second end of the shaft is rigidly attached to a travel limiting part acting as stops, and the travel limiting part has bending, resilient beam shapes. The actuator is electrically controlled in an open-loop. A control system controls a lift value of valves of an internal combustion engine by a lever driven by such an actuator.

An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly, comprises a sun gear configured to receive input from an electric motor and one or more planet gears having radially-outwardly-extending gear teeth that engage the sun gear; a first ring gear, having radially-inwardly extending gear teeth that engage the radially-outwardly-extending gear teeth of the sun gear, configured to receive rotational output provided by a crankshaft; a second ring gear, having radially-inwardly extending gear teeth that engage the radially-outwardly-extending gear teeth of the sun gear, configured to couple to a camshaft; one or more planet gear pins that carry the planet gear(s) and engage a planetary gear set to prevent the relative rotation of the planet gear pin(s) relative to the planetary gear set; and one or more springs that bias the planet gear pin(s) and the planetary gear(s) toward the first ring gear and the second ring gear.

A differential device (5) of an electric actuator (1) includes a driving rotary body (2), a driven rotary body (3), and a planetary rotary body (52). A first speed reducer (5a) is formed between the planetary rotary body (52) and the driving rotary body (2). A second speed reducer (5b) is formed between the planetary rotary body (52) and the driven rotary body (3). The electric actuator (1) includes a first bearing (53) configured to support the planetary rotary body (52) on an inner side of a rotor (42) of an electric motor (4), and a second bearing (54) configured to support the planetary rotary body (52) at a position shifted in an axial direction so as to be prevented from overlapping the rotor (42). The second bearing (54) is formed of a deep-groove ball bearing.

A camless valve control system for an internal combustion engine in disclosed. The system includes a hydraulic distributor, having a rotating distributor shaft timed to the operation of the engine, the rotating distributor shaft comprising an internal flow dividing plug channeling an internal hydraulic flow to first and second portions of the rotating distributor shaft; an opening control ring oriented coaxially with the rotating distributor shaft with at least one hole configured to cyclically align with the rotating distributor shaft and provide opening hydraulic control to open a controlled valve, and a closing control ring oriented coaxially with the rotating distributor shaft with at least one hole configured to cyclically align with the rotating distributor shaft and provide closing hydraulic control to close the controlled valve.

An Oldham coupling includes an engagement arm. At least either a driving-side rotor or an input gear has an engagement portion engaged with the engagement arm and is connected to the Oldham coupling. The engagement arm has a pair of arm flat surface portions perpendicular to a rotational direction of the driving-side rotor. The engagement portion has a pair of engagement flat surface portions that the arm flat surface portions face in a sliding contact manner. Each arm flat surface portion is, within a range where the arm flat surface portion slides against a facing engagement flat surface portion, always in contact with an overlapping portion of the engagement flat surface portion with the arm flat surface portion when viewed from a direction perpendicular to a sliding direction of the Oldham coupling and in which the arm flat surface portion and the engagement flat surface portion overlap each other.